Jack is something ELSE.  He knows how to lower our expectations- with the fits and the whining and the scolding, (and by scolding I mean shaking his finger at us and scolding, na stop dit na ga gin! clipped and forcefully as though he were the parent)- and thus sets the stage for when he does do something unusually mature for his age for us to be all the more impressed with him.

Yesterday, for example, we were all swimming and he had no swim diaper on and he kept grabbing at the back of his suit.  Lately he'd been telling me just before he went #2 that it was about to happen, and I took the grabbing and glances my way as the same thing, so we headed to the potty.  I wasn't about to put him in a diaper to do his business and then be back in the pool- 

"Wanna try the big boy potty?" I asked him, and set him on it (not really waiting for an answer.)  Nothing.  Back to the swimsuit and pool.  More grabbing- back to the bathroom, and sure enough, he did it!  Completely. 

We have a lot going on this week- Evan's school interview tomorrow morning, a movie at the dollar theatre in the afternoon, play dates with friends here and there, so naturally, it was not a good time to start potty training.  (Not to mention we go to Ocala this coming weekend to pick up 6 shoots, and the beach two weeks after that.)  This morning, however, when Shaun went to get him out of his crib, Jack had taken his pants off, then his diaper off, and then went to the trouble to put his pants BACK on.  Evan is still learning that, so we were floored. 

Then I FORGOT he didn't have a diaper on underneath the pj shorts and realized he was still dry after breakfast.  So we'll give it a go, I thought, let's see if he's ready or not, and the pants stayed on all morning. 

Come 11:30, and after me having him sit periodically on the big potty, he was still completely dry.  We went swimming and when he started grabbing at his pee pee we tried the big potty.  Not the first time, but the second time he pee pee'ed!  And SO, we are officially potty training...  I guess.  Which means I will be running to Target tonight to get the smallest big boy underpants I can find.  And OH MY GOODNESS is that gonna be the cutest tush America has ever seen in bog boy pants.  And belly.  (Says me.)

Well, naptime is LONG over, wouldn't you say?  But the kids are playing so well, it's hard to pull myself away.  They are listening to Cedarmont Kids videos upstairs and I just heard them sing all of Father Abraham at the top of their lungs.  When it ended Evan said, "You wanna do that AGAIN??"  Madalyn, the cheerleader, said "Yea-UH!" 

Nonetheless, I better go get dinner started.  We're having burgers- Shaun's grilling- and corn on the cob and homemade mac n cheese and baked beans and strawberry shortcakes (the mini ones you make yourself, because the kids think that's cool.)  Does that meal scream summer or what?  Every time we're in the pool, I smell some neighbors' grilling burgers and I have wanted my own ever since...  well tonight, my friends, that dream's a-comin' true... mm, mm, MM!